It Can't be You!
by DeathlyGummyAlpha
Summary: A modern au. Hiccup mysteriously disappears for a couple of years, then comes back for the final year of school. But he looks... different. How did he change? Will he become one of the 'popular kids? And shy is it that only Astrid recognises him? Hiccstrid. Rated T because I'm paranoid. Hope you enjoy!
1. Prolouge

_Prologue_

Astrid

Hiccup Haddock was a guy that you would forget was there. He'd always be bent over scribbling in his worn notebook, shaggy auburn hair covering his eyes. He had a skinny frame, and vibrant green eyes that stood out in the dark. Hiccup would get good grades, but never brag. He never fit into any of the social groups. The idea of skinny Hiccup being a jock was laughable, too skinny and quiet. Not nerdy enough to be a nerd, normal enough to not be a weirdo, but weird enough not to be a normal. Maybe that was why he was bullied. Hiccup was a threat.

Hiccup Haddock has a crush on Astrid Hofferson. Everyone knew, but I didn't think much of it Almost every boy who attended Berk High School was falling at my feet, no surprise he was too. But Hiccup was different. He didn't smirk or flex when I came by, but averted his eyes. While most guys sneered and boasted while I was around, Hiccup stuttered and shrank back. He intrigued me. Maybe that was another reason he was bullied. Snotlout and Eret were his min tormentors, and Hiccup frequently came to school with a black eye or split lip, though no-one noticed. Just as no-one noticed him. He had a talent for hiding in the shadows, sinking and disappearing into their embrace, until all you would be able to see would be a pair of green eyes. Blink, and he was gone.

Snotlout was a large, beefy boy with an ego the size of a country. His greasy black hair was always pulled away from his pale blue eyes, and through his satisfied smirk, you could tell he thought he was God's gift to woman. He was loud, obnoxious, and an overall pain in my a**, hitting on me whenever he got the chance. No matter how many times I twisted his arm behind his back, or punched him in his face, he would just keep coming back. Everyone in the school knew I hated him, except, it seemed, himself. Snotlout clung to power and popularity, which is how he became Eret's lapdog.

Eret was even more muscular than Snotlout. Tall, intimidating and rude, the majority f the girl population was head-over-heels for him. Eret had a pattern of vertical blue stripes on his chin, a tattoo he said represented his standards: strong, forever, and always standing, never kneeling. Dark hair slicked back and thick eyebrows lowered over brown eyes, Eret was at the top of the food chain, only rivalled by myself.

Then there were the twins, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, the resident troublemakers at the school. If the science lab caught on fire, you didn't have to look far for the culprits. Long dirty blonde hair and lanky frames, these two were always fighting, and the only real way to tell them apart was the fact Ruffnut kept her hair in two long braids, while Tuffnut had dreadlocks.

Fishlegs Ingerman was the resident bookworm. Slightly overweight, with short blonde hair cropped close to his face, you would often find him sitting in the shade with his nose in a book. The only reason we had a pet nerd in our group was Snotlout and the twins needed him to give answers to homework questions.

Everyone knew about Astrid Hofferson. Beautiful, smart and violent, always surrounded by a large group of friends. Blonde hair and blue eyes, everyone cleared the halls to make way for Astrid and her studded skirt. I was mean, confident and always got what I wanted. However, in my large group of gossiping girls, I had maybe only one friend, Heather, a kind-hearted but dangerous black-haired beauty with large, stunning green eyes and a body to rival my own.

When Hiccup Haddock disappeared without a trace, nothing changed. One less name on the roll call, one less body in the locker hall. But everyone noticed. Then everyone forgot. But I, Astrid Hofferson, remembered the small boy with too-long hair and green eyes. I alone remembered the way he sank into the shadows, and completely disappeared. I alone wondered why he had gone. Maybe that was why I was the only one to recognise him when Hiccup Haddock came back.


	2. Chapter 1- He's back

**Disclaimer: As much as I'd love for them to be mine, all characters belong to Cressida Cowell and Dreamworks.**

_Chapter 1_

Astrid

It had been 4 years since Hiccup had left, we were now 18, so naturally, we had all changed. Ruffnut and Tuffnut had matured slightly, and Snotlout became even more egotistical, if that were possible. Fishlegs was more confident and had replaced lots of his baby fat with muscle, though he was still on the plump side. Even I had changed, filling out in all the right places, and developing all the right curves. The only one who hadn't changed was Eret. He was still the King of the Social status, just as I was Queen, and had been voted 'guy I'd want to sleep with the most' on BerkBanter. That is until the new guy came. It was the start of our final year and everyone was lounging around outside the school, waiting for it to open. I was ignoring Snotlout's pitiful attempts at flirting when suddenly Ruffnut nudged me and gave a low whistle. "Oh my! Me likey!" and I realised everything had gone quiet. So, I looked up.

Parked in one of the few bike spaces was a sleek black motorbike, shining in the sun. But what had caught the attention of almost half the school population was the person sitting atop that bike. My eyes travelled from his polished black boots u leather-clad legs and chest; lean muscles clearly defined. My gaze carried on upwards, moving from his biking leathers to rest upon a sharp, complex helmet that covered the entire face.

All eyes tracked his hand as it moved upwards to remove his helmet. Inch by inch, it came off, and through my peripheral vision, I could see girls around me swoon. A sharp jawline, with hints of stubble, flaunted sun-tanned skin, riddled with freckles. Messy auburn hair tumbled down to rest at the base of his neck, and two small braids peaked out from the midst of the mane, which moved when he dragged his hand through, eliciting more noises from the girls around me. And I was not one of those girls. Oh no! Then the man got off his bike, and sauntered through the doors we presumed locked, and the area burst out into whispers and chattering.

"Did you see the new guy?"

"Oh my God, I would like some of that!"

"What a badass! Did you see those muscles?"

"Oh, I would die for those eyes…"

"And his ass! Wow!" My unfocused gaze rested on Ruffnut, raising an eyebrow at that one. Everyone started walking towards the doors, talking animatedly, but I stayed where I was. Because dressed in black leather and on a black bike, the man could have just been a shadow.

And all I could think about was the pair of green eyes the helmet had revealed. A pair of green eyes that could look into your soul.

**A/N Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your support! I uploaded yesterday and wasn't expecting anything, especially for my first story! Thank you so much.**

**I will be quite inconsistent with uploading new chapters, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly. But I will try to upload at least one chapter each week. Sorry If they are quite short, I thought it would be better to upload more often and shorter chapters. Anyway, If you have any feedback I would love to know. Anyways I can improve? And any requests for the story? **

**Love you guys,**

**DeathlyGummyAlpha**


	3. Chapter 2- Meet Jay Haddock

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters **

_Chapter 2:_

Astrid

As I walked into the school I turned to Heather. So, naturally, everyone else in my group stopped.

"Heather, does that man remind you of anyone?" I asked.

"I think I would remember anyone who looked like that!" said Heather. "I mean, did you see him? Mamma Mia!"

Ruffnut gave a slow whistle of appreciation and agreement. "Hey Tuff, Loki day is coming up, how about we 'accidentally' pants him?" Tuffnut looked horrified. Heather gave me a nudge. "Don't worry about it. Though I did see your face when you first saw him. Is Astrid getting a little crush?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

I flushed. "Shut up."

When the bell for homeroom went, there was a rush to get to class on time. As soon as everyone was seated, our teacher, Mr Mulch, came in.

"Good morning girls!" He said excitedly.

"Good morning Mr Mulch," we droned back.

"Now, we have a new student with us today. Jay Haddock!"

I sighed with relief. So, it wasn't Hiccup. What was I thinking? Scrawny little Hiccup couldn't change into that tall, muscular… I shook my head violently, extracting the thoughts from my head. Suddenly, from the back corner of the room, the guy from the motorcycle stood up, and everyone did a double-take. No one knew he was there. Mr Mulch was the first to recover.

"Mr Haddock, would you like to tell everyone a bit about yourself?"

Jay smirked. "Well, I'd rather not. You see, most people here have met me, they just don't know it." Jay winked at a bunch of girls, setting them off squealing, then sat down. Mr Mulch blinked in surprise.

"Anyway, let's take the roll call, shall we?"

By first period, everyone knew about Jay Haddock. The class was disrupted by girls giggling and guys grumbling.

By second period, Eret was no longer voted the 'guy I'd want to sleep with the most' on BerkBanter, almost all of the girls changing their vote to Jay. All around me, phones were buzzing with new notifications and updates. Ruffnut held the lead in the comments, with 200 likes and agreements to her 'He's so dark and mysterious, it's so sexy! And I have decided that leather pants are my new best friend' comment.

By recess, Jay was nowhere to be found.

By fourth period, a fight had broken out, and two girls came to class with scratches down their arms, makeup smudged. By asking around, I found out that one of them had sent a note to Jay, and the other got jealous.

By lunch, I was ready for the day to end. I had barely concentrated all through the day, forest green eyes burned into the back of my eyelids. He had sat quietly in the shadows, a smirk on his face. When asked a question, he had answered it with an easy nonchalance, the infuriating smirk still in place. As I walked into the cafeteria, Heather met me as I collected my tray.

"Hey girl, you look beat." I smiled tiredly at her, as the rest of our group joined us. Once we had all collected our food, we turned around, and the entire cafeteria went silent. There, sitting at the centre table always reserved for our group, was Jay Haddock. Everyone knew that particular table was ours, not to go near it. Everyone watched with bated breath as Eret went up to Jay and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Get off our table, you little bitch!"

Jay arched an eyebrow, and said lazily, "I don't see your name written on it, Eret."

There was a collective intake of breath, as we made our way to join Eret. I towered of him, my anger a wave about to crash. All day, he had been distracting me, and now here he was, eyebrow still raised, smirking up at me with his muscular arms crossed, his gorgeous green eyes staring unblinkingly into mine, and I faltered. Astrid. Hofferson. Faltered. Then his lips twisted up into a knowing smirk, and he turned around, propping his legs up on a nearby chair, commenting lightly, "So how've you been Astrid?"

That's when I saw Snotlout's fist tighten, and he yelled, "Don't talk to my girl!"

And he threw his fist forward with all his might, right towards Jay Haddocks face.

**A/N Hey all, here is the next chapter! I hope you like it. Thanks for all the comments, I will keep them in mind. Sorry for ending on a cliff hanger. Not! Mwa ha ha! I will try and update soon, I probably won't update till next week (not the week coming up, but the week after, starting on the 20th). It really makes me feel good, all of your reviews and comments, I am trying to keep them in mind, and have done some minor editing of the first and second chapters for future readers, but mainly grammar and stuff like that. So hope you like this chapter. Snotlout! Snotlout! Oi Oi Oi!**


	4. Chapter 3- Fight!

**A/N: Hey guys, thanks so much for all of your reviews! I have decided to do different chapters from different perspectives. I am a bit nervous about how it will turn out, but oh well. At the top of each story, I have underlined the name of the character whose perspective the chapter will be on. Sometimes I will write third person, but most chapters will be from Astrid's point of view, like this new chapter. I will probably only use Jay/Hiccup's perspective a few times later on because this story is focusing on how he changed and the views of his changes by the others (awe, amazement, disbelief, etc.) Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters**

_Chapter 3:_

Astrid

Snotlout's fist moved as if in slow motion, and in that moment, I realised I didn't want Jay to get hurt. I don't know why; I just couldn't bear the thought. Actually, I did know why. So, it was the moment he was about to be punched in the face that I, Astrid Hofferson, who has never even liked boys remotely in that way, realised I had a crush on Jay Haddock.

All this went through my brain in a second, and time resumed its normal speed, a fist flying towards Jay's face at frightening speeds. I opened my mouth to shout a warning, to the face still turned towards me, but then he moved. Without breaking eye contact, Jay moved his head a fraction to the side, forever smirking, and Snotlout's fist collided with the lunch table. A sickening crunch filled the air, and Snotlout howled.

"Why you little…" Eret started venomously, advancing on him, but Jay interrupted him, ignoring his presence completely, a careless grin on his face.

"Oh, I am sorry, ladies. This is your table, isn't it?" He stood up fluidly, and with a wink, pulled out three chairs for Ruffnut, Heather and I to sit in a smooth movement. I stood frozen. From behind Jay, there was a snort. The auburn-haired boy just waved a hand over his shoulder at Eret's noise of anger.

"Oh, be quiet you! Can't you see I'm talking with these lovely young women?" he said, his mouth still twisted into the careless smile. Had he just complimented me? I felt a warm tingling in my stomach at the thought but pushed it away. Many spectators turned pale, while some of the girls swooned. I just stood there, mouth gaping open, as his eyes bored into mine. The colours seemed to swirl with amusement and devious humour. I could have sworn I saw a hint of anger as well, but before I could ponder this, Eret burst into action, charging at Jay from behind with a scream of fury. Jay moved to the side a millisecond before he would have been rammed into, and turned around, sticking out a foot at the same moment. Eret crashed and skidded along the floor, turning around and growling like an angry bear.

"You useless little shit!" he howled, clutching his shin, which had made contact with Jay's foot. Suddenly, the frown playing on Jay's face disappeared, and his gaze turned dark, sending a shiver down my spine. The sheer force of anger in his stare made me want to go crawl under my bed and hide.

"What did you just call me?" he bit out.

"I said, you are a worthless waste of space!" Eret continued, not seeming to see the warning signs. I held my breath, as Jay leapt forward with a snarl. He moved like water, twisting away from the punch coming his way, and dispatching one of his own, catching Eret on the chin. Everyone gasped, no one had ever managed to hit Eret! From behind, Snotlout staggered to his feet and ran at Jay. Both sides clashed, and phones flared with light as people recorded the fight. Jay moved in fluid motions, muscles bunching and releasing as he slipped between Eret and Snotlout easily. He seemed not to touch any of them, but suddenly the two larger boys collapsed, struck by blows that none could see. I blinked, astounded. Jay leaned over a whispered in their ears so quietly no one could hear what he said. I strained my ears and just managed to make out the words. Eret blanched at the message, then Jay stood and turned around. The fire in his eyes had burned out. He sauntered back to the table and beckoned to Ruffnut, Heather and I.

"Oh, I am sorry you had to witness that. Come sit with me. And Astrid, remember you're no one's girl but your own." He winked and turned to Tuffnut and Fishlegs. "Fish, I've always remembered the time you stood up for me, even though you have no idea what I'm talking about. And Tuff, I've always liked you. Come sit." And with that, Jay Haddock turned around and continued eating as if nothing had happened, no marks or strain showing on his face to indicate that a fight had ever happened. I moved as if in a trance, sinking onto the bench as other students scattered back to their table, whispering admiration, and replaying the fight on their phones. Snotlout and Eret sat on the floor, dazed. But all I could hear were the words Jay had whispered in Eret's ear. They echoed around my head, invading my thoughts. "Don't ever call me useless again, Eret," he had whispered. "Because if a hiccup could do this to you, you'd better watch your back, and keep an eye on the shadows." Hiccup had returned.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! Sorry, I'm really bad at fight scenes. I will probably try to upload the next chapter next Sunday. If you have anything you want to add, any requests (I will try to match requests but I won't guarantee) or just reviews. ****To answer godspeed83, Jay Baruchel voiced Hiccup in the movies, so I thought I would use his name in this story. After a while, it will change back to Hiccup once everyone knows who he is. I thought there are too many Haydens or Henrys in this fandom, I would change it up a little, but still make it relatable. Also, to clear some things up, in this story Jay is his real name, and Hiccup was a nickname. G****ood luck to those doing exams or NAPLAN, and thanks for your support!**


	5. Extra- Jay's Perspective

**A/N: Hey all, I know I just uploaded a chapter (literally 5 minutes ago), but I just made a really short extra on Jay's thoughts and stuff for in the first two chapters. I made this a while back when I was playing with ideas and perspectives. I hope you like!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

_Extra_

Jay

When I arrived at Berk High School this morning and saw the look on everyone's faces, I couldn't help myself. I had to make a dramatic entrance. Just as I predicted, girls swooned, and guys swore. The eyes of everyone around me brought satisfaction, but I couldn't believe no one recognised me. Well, actually, I could. I had changed drastically. The fishbone didn't exist anymore.

All through classes (which were so easy I almost laughed. Good thing I kept up with my studies!), I knew I was the centre of attention. I could hear their whispers, no one ever thought to look around corners or in dark shadows to see if anyone was lurking, listening in to their conversations. Apparently, I was the 'hottie', or the 'badass'. When I logged into BerkBanter, the comments and feedback on me made me chuckle, especially Ruffnut's comment. But through it all, I saw Astrid. She was as beautiful as ever, a perfect Valkyrie. When she first laid eyes on the new and improved me, I thought I saw something flicker in her eyes, like recognition, but it was gone so soon it could have been a trick of the light. Or maybe it was the secret, hidden part of me that longed to be recognised, identified. Because I was angry. They thought a mere hiccup couldn't change and was so worthless that there was no chance of ever changing? I had been forced to change, to grow stronger and faster, for survival. They should have accepted me for who I was. So maybe it was only wishful thinking. It would make sense, my mind choosing the girl that once held my heart. Maybe she still did. Because when I first saw her, my heart gave a flutter like it used to.

**A/N: Hope you liked it! Please review, I will welcome any criticism (but please no mean comments. I feel bad about being 'that girl' who says that, but still). Anything to improve will help me greatly, especially from those who have been writing for a long time (fanfiction or just writing), because I am a newbie. If anyone has any requests for oneshots as well, I wouldn't mind writing a few. Nothing longer than two chapters though, because I'd like to focus on this story first. Will update soon, thanks so much!**


	6. Chapter 4- Can't get to sleep

**A/N: Hey guys, sorry if I confused you with the extra from Jay's perspective, just thought since I wrote it, I would upload it. Here's the next chapter! It's quite a lot longer than the others, and it's early! I know it's in Astrid's point of view, but I thought it would be good like this. The next chapter will also be from Astrid's perspective, but the one after that will be from a different character's. Hope you like.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

_Chapter 4:_

Astrid

That night I tossed and turned in my bed, unable to get to sleep. How could Jay be Hiccup? I tested the name on my tongue. Jay. I liked the way it felt. But why did he return? The thought I had buried deep down years ago, rose uninvited to my thoughts. Where has he been all these years? I couldn't believe it. I had a crush on Hiccup. Scrawny, unpopular Hiccup. Not so scrawny anymore a small voice in my head whispered. I felt my face grow red and compared the new Hiccup with the old one. Now that I thought about it, I could see the similarities between them. The piercing green eyes, long auburn hair, even the sarcastic, nasally voice though it had grown deeper. The way he had taunted Eret and his snappy comebacks made my thoughts stutter. The two periods after lunch had been agony. I hadn't had any classes with him, but he still distracted me. Ruffnut had voiced a question in everyone's mind; what will happen to the social structure? Because Jay (or Hiccup, as I now knew) had beaten Eret and Snotlout, he was now King of the school. But he didn't seem to want the job, ignoring everyone except Heather, Fishlegs, Ruff, Tuff and me. We were now his group. Maybe. No one really knew what to think.

The fight had been recorded by many people, and almost all social media platforms were buzzing with the news and videos. The usual comment accompanied it. Girls posted comments that were way to appreciating for my liking, even though I agreed with many of them, and many boys heaped praises on him, especially his fighting. Ruffnut, Heather and I have a group chat, and Ruff had sent us a copy of the video that she had edited into slow motion, with the caption 'Look your fill, Astrid. As much as I'd like to, I've seen the way you look at him, so I'll (try to) keep my hands off that wonderful ass. Here is some inspiration for tonight, if you know what I mean;)'. The two girls had teased me mercilessly, but I hadn't deigned to reply or open the video.

But now, my thoughts turned unbidden to the texts, and I sighed. I loved fighting, why should I not watch the video because of some tiny, almost non-existent crush I had on a boy? It shouldn't stop me from trying to learn. I reached over to my nightstand and grabbed my phone. Once I had acquired it, I retreated under my blanket, pulling it over my head and forming a tent-like structure. The blue light burned my eyes as I turned it on, and the time blinked back at me; 11:32. I hovered my finger over the video, uncertain, but quickly pushed my worries away. I was interested in his fighting skills. I repeated this thought in my head as I pressed play and started to watch. I wish I hadn't. The video started out slow, the voices deep and unrecognisable from the editing Ruff had done. I saw myself angrily stare down at Jay, then falter. That's when Snotlout rushed at him, and the fight began. Eret and Snotlout moved slowly, but it was like Jay was the only one who wasn't affected by the altering of speed. He moved as one usually would at a normal pace, twisting and turning and thrusting, slipping between the bodies and delivering blows. The pace he would have moved at seemed inhuman. Could this really be Hiccup? I slowed the video even more, and that was my downfall. The tight leather clung to his body in a way that made my breath catch. His six-pack was clearly defined through it, and my eyes caught on the way his muscles flexed with each movement he made. The fire in his eyes made me shiver and heat coursed through me. I didn't realise how much he affected me until my legs jerked involuntarily. The movement brought me back to my senses, and I turned my phone off with a click, stopping Jay mid-punch, and threw the phone onto the floor, laying back and breathing heavily. Closing my eyes, sleep evaded me even more than before. It was going to be a long night.

The next morning, I got ready as quickly as I could and ran to school. The first two periods were double PE, the class I had been both anticipating and dreading all night. I excel at all sports and am always at my prime when running races or out on the soccer field. But I've hated the uniform for all five years I've been forced to wear it. The shorts are so short I'm surprised the school allows them, and the shirts are always tight around the chest area. All these combined caused boys to stare and hassle me, especially Snotlout who sends me sly looks and saucy smiles that made me want to puke. Everyone knows he just wants to get me into his bed. Heather calls it the 'Stare and Glare', the boys loving and the girls hating. But after last night the uniforms suddenly had a positive aspect. Jay was in my PE class, and I entertained the thought of him looking along with the rest of the boys. As soon as I contemplated this though, my face turned red and I hotly denied the thought. But a little voice inside my head kept whispering poisonous words in my head.

I met Heather and Ruffnut in the changing rooms, and Ruff nudged me and said in a conspiratorial whisper, "So, was the material good enough?"

"Oh, I think it was good enough," said Heather. "Just look at her face!"

I turned my red face away from them and whispered back harshly "Shut up! I didn't do anything!"

"Oh, you didn't DO anything, did you? But that doesn't mean you didn't THINK anything!" Ruffnut replied. "I bet my yak-tipping trophy that you stayed up allllllll night, thinking about that beautifully sculptured body…" She paused for a second, and when I didn't answer, let out a loud "I knew it!" that caused many girls around us to jump.

I leaned down to tie my shoes, trying to ignore her. "Let's go, I said and hurried out into the gym, trusting them to follow. They did, trailing behind me and talking in hushed whispers. I knew they were planning something by the glint in Ruff's eyes and the sly curve of Heather's smile.

We were the first ones to arrive at the gym. Our teacher, Mr Belch, who always asked to be called Gobber, hailed us and hurries over. Gobber was an interesting man, middle-aged and rather fat and good-natured. The thing that had most people stare, though was the fact he wore prosthetics in place of an arm and foot, which he had lost from a crocodile attack.

"Astrid! Can ya set up tha obstacle course? Heather, you hang up tha ropes and Ruff…" Gobber paused. You sit over there and don' git inta any trouble, eh!"

I did as he said, and as everyone filed in, I kept a sharp eye out for Jay. Once everyone was seated on the steps, Gobber hobbled up and started taking the role call. I ignored him, still scanning for Jay.

"Astrid!" Gobber called. I started.

"Here!"

"Good, good. Oooo! I see we have a new student. Jay!" Gobber looked around for the source of his interest. I was about to say he wasn't there, when Jay stepped out of the shadows behind me, causing everyone to start with surprise. His eyes glinted with an emotion I couldn't place.

"Present."

Gobber turned around and dropped his register. His mouth opened and closed several times before he managed to speak.

"Wha.. Is tha really you?"

Everyone in the class looked up, curious to see how the two knew each other. Jay sauntered down the steps carelessly, but the way he looked at the teacher was with affection.

"No, I'm a troll come to steal your socks," he said. Gobber suddenly burst into action. He waddled towards Jay with open arms, squeezing him tightly.

"Boyo! My, it's good to see you! Oooo, you've changed! Good old vikin' blood showin' through at last, eh?"

Suddenly, Jay vanished from Gobber's arms, and reappeared by his side, causing the larger man to stumble.

"I do need air, you know," he snarked.

"An' I've got a class to teach, ya old scoundrel."

"Meathead."

"Rascal."

I knew my eyes were as wide as everyone else's, watching the two interact. In front of me, Snotlout let out a little "Wha?" that caught the attention of Jay and Gobber. Jay seemed to realise what had occurred, for his eyes lost their sparkle and he glided back to the stairs to take a seat at the back row, right behind me. "You were taking roll call, Gobber?"

Gobber floundered for a moment then carried on with his list. The shock of Gobber and Jay knowing each other wore off, and everyone turned their back attention to the teacher. I felt eyes on my back, but when I turned around, Jay was looking languidly at Gobber. I shook myself and returned my focus to Gobber as he started telling us what to do.

"So, 'cause it's been a while an' I don' know yer skills, we're gonna have you do some exercises an' drills to help with future lessons and let me know where yer all at. You'll be doin' rope climbin', obstacle courses, races, some stretchin', balancing beams. I'm gonna be recording yer results in this clipboard, so do yer best. First up," he peered at his list. "Snotlout."

**A/N: So what did you think? Sorry, I'm not very good at Gobber's accent. Also, I referred to Hiccup as Jay again and will keep on until everyone finds out that Jay is Hiccup. Sorry if it gets a bit confusing. Please review, and have a good weekend.**


	7. Chapter 5- First PE class

**A/N: Hey all, sorry the update is late, I had exams. They are finally finished! You should know that I edited the end of the last chapter a bit, but I added in what I changed (just the last paragraph) to the beginning of this chapter. I hope you enjoy, I changed it up a bit to make it third person.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters**

_Chapter 5:_

3rd Person

"So, 'cause it's been a while an' I don' know yer skills, we're gonna have you do some exercises an' drills to help with future lessons and let me know where yer all at. Each lesson yer all gonna be doin' somethin' different. You'll be doin' rope climbin', obstacle courses, races, some stretchin', balancing beams. I'm gonna be recording yer results in this clipboard, so do yer best. First up," he peered at his list. "Is rope climbing. If ya all'd line up in a line, behind tha' ropes, tha's right, we can begin.

Everyone shuffled towards the ropes, and Snotlout was first in line. He tried to threaten others behind him to take his place, and usually, everyone would have given in, but after the fight in the cafeteria, Snotlout had lost all his power. As Gobber approached, he straightened and puffed out his chest, trying to appear confident. Snotlout had always been good at all athletics and sports, second only after Eret and Astrid, so when Gobber nodded the go-ahead, be strutted toward the dangling end of the rope with confidence. As soon as he started climbing, Astrid grimaced. She had forgotten that the uniforms were just as revealing for the boys as the girls.

Snotlout managed to climb halfway up the rope. Gobber muttered as he wrote down the results and called for the next person. The line became shorter and shorter, some managing to almost climb halfway to the ceiling high above, others falling short. Then it was Eret's turn.

He walked up to the rope and stared upwards with a hard gaze. 'I will do better than everyone and earn the respect of the school again. No-one has ever beat me at this, and no-one ever shall,' he thought, and with a grim determination, started to heave himself upwards. Everyone had ridiculed him yesterday, had laughed and cheered and ignored him. In the periods after lunch, no-one had dared meet his eyes, the storm of anger that brewed in them too fierce. So Eret used these thoughts to fuel his determination and anger and heaved himself up the rope, hand-over-hand. The onlookers underneath stared up at him, and he pulled himself up until he felt the sweat pouring off him. At last, he stopped, unable to go any further, and slid back down. Everyone gaped, and Gobber let out a breath "Almost three-quarters of the way up! Well done, boyo, tha's a new record!"

Eret was satisfied to see everyone shrink away as he strode past to sit once more on the steps, breathing heavily. He had shown that nuisance, Jay, that he was the best of them all!

Astrid

At last, it was my turn. I was right after Eret and couldn't believe how far he had climbed. But I was determined to beat him. Or at least try.

I walked forward and grasped the rope with both hands, feeling the course hairs beneath my grip, and taking a deep breath, I began to climb.

I climbed until sweat was glistening n my body, invading every dip and hollow. I climbed until my hair came loose of its confinement and fell down my back in golden waves. I climbed until my muscles were shaking and trembling with exhaustion. I climbed until my arms couldn't heave my body up anymore, and I clung to the rope, unable to go any further. As I hung there, suspended, I looked down, the mass of upturned faces swimming before my eyes. And I started to descend. When I reached the ground, I fought so my knees didn't buckle underneath my weight, and stood and looked around, my pride not allowing me to bed over to catch my breath. Gobber grinned at me and yelled "Ya beat Eret! Exac'ly three-quarters! We 'ave the new champion!"

I smirked as everyone started cheering, and glanced to where Eret stood, mouth open in shock. I gave a small smirk and sauntered over to sit down. As I passed Jay, the little voice inside my head whispered to me again, and I gave in. Arched my back a bit, I stuck out my chest and added a more swing in my hips, waltzing passed him. I felt the material stretch over my chest, and the shorts riding up even more, and could have sworn I saw something flash I Jay's eyes. Maybe the uniforms weren't so bad after all.

There were only about five people left in the line, and I watched with disinterest as they climbed. No one even came close to beating me. Lastly, it was Jay's turn. Everyone turned and watched as he took hold of the rope and nodded at Gobber. I had to admit; I was curious to see how high he could climb. Then he started, and I gulped, turning red. Almost all of the girls around me started nudging each other, whispering. Once again, I had forgotten the boy's uniform. And instead of having to bear witness to Snotlout in the uniform, I, and everyone around me were treated to an unobstructed view of Jay from underneath. The material of the shorts strained in interesting ways, bunching and gripping tightly in all the right places. My throat went dry, and I had to swallow again. I could perfectly see the way his strong legs gripped the rope, the ripple of muscles under the skin of his arms as he slowly hoisted himself upwards. Then I suddenly realised I couldn't see the details anymore; Jay had moved too far up. In fact, he was sitting on the rafters of the roof. Distantly, I heard a low whistle from Gobber. Everyone was silent. Jay grasped the rope again and fell down with such swiftness that I had to gasp, as did many others. He came speeding down toward us, then, a meter or two from the ground, started to slow down. He seemed to float the rest of the way with an unnatural grace.

The bell sounded and everyone just stared at Jay. He raised an eyebrow and turned to Gobber. "Can we go?"

Gobber shook his head and turned to the rest of the class. "Pack up, now! Time ta go!" Hurry, go ge' changed." No one moved. Jay slowly raised his other eyebrow, then turned around to go. The slam of the door shook everyone out of their trance and the gym was suddenly filled with loud voices and moving feet. It was then I realised I didn't really mind the fact Jay had beaten me. The view had made up for it. The thought made my face turn even redder than before, and I ducked my head and hurried towards the change rooms.

At recess, Jay was nowhere to be found, just like the day before. I could hear everyone talking about PE; the girls drooling about how Jay looked when he climbed, while the boys were talking about how high he had been able to climb. No one knew where he had gone. As I unwrapped my food, idly listening in to Heather, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, Fishlegs talking, Eret and Snotlout came up. Pushing Fishlegs to the side and making him squeak, they sat down heavily, dumping their food on the table with a loud, "What are you talking about?"

So it was that Eret and Snotlout sat with us once more. I didn't know what would happen at lunch when Jay came back, but for now, I'd just have to deal with it. Suddenly, a beefy arm was draped across my shoulders, and I looked up to see Snotlout had scooted next to me.

"Sup, babe?"

I groaned and got up, stalking to my locker to get my books ready for the next class. Ruffnut and Heather hurried to join me, but I tuned out their talking and started to get ready. That is, until Heather nudged me.

"We brought you a memento," she said with a wink. "Check your phone."

When I made no move to do so, Ruff nudged me again. "Come on!"

With a sigh of irritation, I turned on my phone and saw a message from our group chat. Why had they texted me now? I was about to open it when the bell rang, and I pocketed my phone again. "I'll check it later," I said to them and hurried off to maths. I heard their disgruntled muttering behind me and wondered what they could have sent me that they wanted me to see so much?

**A/N: I hope you like it! Please comment, even if it is just one sentence. I love hearing feedback from you. I'm not too sure about this chapter, so again, any advice would be welcome. Also, as a little challenge, can you guess how old I am based on my writing? Just leave a message in the comments, you don't have to if you don't want to. Love you all, will update again next Sunday, or maybe earlier because exams are finished! Yay!**


	8. Chapter 6- Mr Mildew

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is a bit short. It is probably my worst one. However, to make up for that I will be posting again by Wednesday at least, something that will hopefully be a bit better and more interesting.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing **

_Chapter 5:_

Astrid

Next period was English. Our teacher, Mr Mildew, was a crotchety old man who had been divorced three times and sported long, greasy grey hair. Usually I dreaded this class, but I felt a glimmer of anticipation deep inside of me and I was almost looking forward to it. The reason as simple; Jay.

I was greeted with a wave of noise as I walked into the classroom. I walked over and took a seat at the back followed by Ruffnut and there was the immediate scuffle as boys already seated got up and quietly fought to get a seat closest to me. Sometimes I hated being Queen Bee. I longed for a piece of peace and quiet, especially now. Why couldn't I just sit down and organise my thoughts? Just as I was about to punch Gustav, a boy who was being especially loud, my attention was diverted by a similar scuffle at the other end of the room, where Jay had appeared. That was strange; I hadn't seen him enter. A girl, whose name I thought might have been Atali, leaned in and draped herself over his arm. Usually, I ignored those sorts of girls, but now I felt a strange spark of jealousy in my stomach and felt myself scowling. Just as I was about to punch Gastav just to vent my frustration, Jay disappeared. He just leaned back and melted into the shadows. He materialised again a few seats in front of me and propped his feet up on the desk, tipping his head back to give the girls a mild glare. They looked around wildly before locating him and just stared.

"Ladies, contain yourselves!" he drawled and swivelled around to look directly at me. I could feel the flush creeping up my cheeks at the intensity of the stare. The majority of the boys stopped fighting.

"Like a bunch of vultures, aren't they," he jerked his chin at the boys. "Just tell me if you need any help. Though I'm sure you can help yourself, I can do it in a less…," he paused for a second, pondering his next words. "Violent way."

I opened my mouth to try and speak, but he was still looking at me, and all that came out was a quiet squeak. Jay smirked at the noise, and my blush deepened. I was about to try again when I noticed the 'vultures' had gone back to their seats, and Jay swivelled back around in his chair.

"Incoming," I heard him whisper under his breath. A few seconds later, I heard the tell-tale noise of Mildew's staff clacking against the cheap vinyl floor. How did he know that the teacher was coming?

"Good morning, maggots! Now, today we are going to learn Shakespeare…" I zoned out Mr Mildew's voice, instead opting to watch Jay. He was drawing in a familiar looking leather notebook, pencil scratching against the thick parchment paper. My eyes tracked his movements; the way his slender fingers gripped the pencil, pressing firmly but carefully against the paper; the movement of his arms as he pulled it back and forth; the sway of his long silky hair and the way it curled at the nape of his neck. Suddenly, a gnarled hand slammed down on his desk, and Mr Mildew leered unpleasantly down at Jay.

"What quote did I just read out, Fresh Meat? You don't know how it works around here, so I'll tell you. You get a question wrong, detention!"

Jay looked up at the teacher. Even if he had been listening, which I knew he hadn't been, how could Mr Mildew expect him to remember a whole quote for _A Midsummer Nights Dream_? But Jay just smirked up at the teacher and, tipping his chair back to lean against the one behind him, quoted,

"'Ay me! For aught that I could ever read,

Could ever hear by tale or history,

The course of true love never did run smooth.

But either it was different in blood.' This was said by Lysander to Hermia when they were planning to run away."

I gaped at him; how did he know that? My amazement and confusion were mirrored across the faces of everyone in the class. However, our attention was diverted as we shared in a common delight and fascination as Mr Mildews jaw dropped, and his face turned a peculiar purple colour. He finally shook himself, grunted, and moved to the front of the class to resume teaching. I turned back to Jay as he pushed forward again. His chair rocked forward, and the front legs hit the floor with a dull clunk. Jay continued drawing as if nothing had happened.

**A/N: Well there it is! I really hope you like it and share any comments, criticism, things you like, or things you would like me to add/do more of. As I said before, I will update another short chapter soon to make up for the length of this one. I wasn't exactly sure how to write the Shakespeare, so sorry if the layout of the quote is wrong or confusing (Jay said****'****This was said by Lysander to Hermia when they were planning to run away')****. Also, all of the comments have been really nice, and you don't know what it means to me or how happ****y it makes me to open my email and see a whole lot of positive and helpful things said about my writing. A special thanks so much to Wiskerface for the constructive criticism, it really helped. I will probably forget to do lots of what you said, so I am focusing on using and not staring with conjunctions. Love you all!**


	9. Chapter 7- Lunch

**A/N: Hey all, here is the next chapter I promised! I have made a decision that I am just going to write from Astrid's POV, I just find the words flow more and I can connect to her a better. Also, I have been getting quite a few requests to update more often. I have school and sport and other things on, but I have decided to try something new. From now on, I won't be updating every Sunday, rather whenever I have time. This could mean two or three updates per week or none at all. If you follow or favourite my story or profile then you will get an email to tell you when I have uploaded the next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Dreamworks and Cressida Cowell.**

_Chapter 7:_

Astrid

When lunch finally came, Ruffnut and I met Heather at our usual spot next to the canteen. We were joined by Tuffnut and Fishlegs as we collected our food. When we walked toward the table, we found Jay already sitting there, eating his food quietly and seeming oblivious to the hundreds of eyes fixed on him from all around the cafeteria. I approached first and quietly sat down on the bench opposite him. The rest of the group followed my example, and I glared until the spectators averted their eyes and the chatter started again. When I looked back at Jay, with a jolt I found his eyes already fixed on me. I had never noticed all the colours in them; the dark green around the pupil that pooled outwards into a brighter, forest green; the flecks of brown that speckled the iris. The corners of the eyes turned upwards and I found Jay smirking at me, as if he could guess the thoughts circling inside my head.

"Um… Mr Haddock, er, I w-was wondering um, h-how," Fishlegs gave a squeak as Jay turned to fix his stare on the larger boy. Jay's mouth twitched.

"Mr Haddock?" Suddenly, he let out a loud laugh and I almost swooned at the sound. "My, how the tables have turned. Call me Jay! It's my name after all!"

"O-okay Jay. Um, how-" Fishlegs started to say but was quickly interrupted by Tuffnut, who jumped out of his chair.

"Oh my God, man! I saw you in PE! That was awesome dude!"

Jay chuckled again and Fishlegs gave a grunt of annoyance.

"As I was saying, TUFFNUT," Fishlegs hot the offender a glare, which was ignored. "How can you do the stuff you can do? I analysed your fighting skills and they're not anything I've ever seen before! You used moves that are unrecorded everywhere! A-and how did you move so fast? Your reflexes are amazing, how did you refine them so well? How do you know all of our names? Also-" Fishlegs started rambling. Jay held up a hand to stop the flow of words.

"Fishlegs. I'm not going to answer some of those questions, for… personal reasons. However, I'll just say that circumstances forced me to change." As Fishlegs opened his mouth again, Jay interrupted, "I'll not say any more on that topic, so there is no use asking."

There was silence for a second, and I wondered what 'desperate circumstances' he was talking about. What had happened to him that had changed Hiccup into Jay, and why did he keep his real identity hidden? I was extracted from my thoughts when Jay turned and froze me with his stare again. I mustered enough energy to pull my chin up and meet his stare. I was the most popular, fiercest girl in the school, after all.

Jay smiled, and while some might have found it condescending, something told me to look deeper, and I found there was a certain warmth within it. Suddenly, a shadow passed over his eyes and he tensed, then relaxed. It all happened so suddenly I could have imagined it.

"Astrid. You look as lovely as when I first met you," he said. I started. When he first met me? Did he mean yesterday, or when Hiccup first met me, back in junior school. Jay smiled at me again, and this time it was a knowing smile. Somehow, he knew I had recognised him. Then I realised; it was the question. A seemingly polite question to anyone who didn't know who he was and thought he was referring to yesterday, but my reaction had given me away. I cursed silently. No one else seemed to notice the unusual phrasing of the question, apart from Fishlegs who gave Jay a curious look and some girls with jealous expressions who quickly looked away when they noticed me glaring at them.

"Would you be so kind as to meet me after school? Outside the gym would be fine," Jay said. I nodded slowly. I had nothing to hide, after all. It wasn't a crime to know who he really was, was it? Then why did I feel anticipation and guilt?

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a figure walking up to our table. I was about to open my mouth to warn Jay, when I caught his eye and realised, he already knew. Just as they were almost next to us, Jay said, "Snotlout."

The boy froze, then quickly closed the distance between us.

"Jay. Um, well, I was, erm, wondering if-," started Snotlout when Jay interrupted.

"Sit down. I don't mind having you at the table. It doesn't belong to me, after all."

My jaw dropped open, an expression mirrored by Fishlegs, Heather, Ruff and Tuff. I quickly closed it. He fought Snotlout, then just let him sit and talk? Hesitantly, Snotlout sat down.

"You know, I didn't want to fight you. Eret told me to, though, but now he's no longer the, um…" Snotlout trailed off. He looked Jay up and seemed to cast around for something to talk about. Finally, he proclaimed, "You look good. Better than before, at least." Right. Snotlout knew who Jay was. Slowly, the conversation started up again and soon Ruff and Tuff were arguing about who could fit the most dirt in their mouths. Fishlegs started explaining to Heather how some video game worked and slowly, Snotlout grew more comfortable until he was as cocky as before.

The smell of sweat assaulted my nostrils as he draped his arm across my shoulders. Angrily, I turned around to punch him in the face when he abruptly withdrew the offending limb. Confused, I turned around and found Jay glaring at Snotlout. The sheer possessiveness and wrath in the gaze made me shudder. He let out a low animalistic growl at the back of his throat and I almost melted at the sound.

A harsh clanging filled the air as the bell rang signalling the end of lunch, making me jump. I got up in a daze and slowly started walking away. My mouth curved into a smile as an unidentifiable feeling left me warm and fuzzy. Then I remembered; I was going to see him after school.

**A/N: I hope you liked it. Sorry if I had too many mistakes, I didn't proof-read this one. Feel free to review with anything you want/need. If anyone was wondering Snotlout knows that Jay is Hiccup because he whispered it in his ear during the fight. IMPORTANT: please read the A/N at the beginning. Also, I have chosen to add two little challenges at the end of each chapter. I will put the challenges/ question/ inquiry in the bottom A/N and the answer in the next chapter's at the top. Just write your answer in the review, and try to answer both of them!**

**Challenge #1: What is the best HTTYD fic you've read?**

**Challenge #2: What is the name of the dragon that releases a concussive sound wave instead of fire?**

**Have a great week,**

**DeathlyGummyAlpha**


	10. Chapter 8- Panic!

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

Period five and six seemed the shortest yet longest classes I had ever taken. Time was warped, with each minute ticking by with agonising slowness until suddenly,

It was time to go. As soon as I heard the first clang of the bell, I rushed out of the door to my locker, ignoring the surprised looks on the faces I passed; I was always calm and collected, never flushed and frantic like I was now. I packed up as quickly as possible and headed to the gym just as students started to trickle into the locker rooms. When I was almost at the arranged spot, I slowed down to catch my breath before striding forward. But when I rounded the corner, I found Jay already sitting on the bench. How had he gotten here so fast? He looked up at my approach and stood, moving forward to stand directly in front of me. I was suddenly conscious of how alone we were, and the thought made me tingle with excitement. Jay took one small step forward, just enough to invade my personal space, and I was acutely aware of the way his biking leathers hugged every muscle and of the heat pouring off him in waves. The hairs on my arms stood up and reached towards him, drawn as if by static. My eyes were level with his chest, and he leaned down until his mouth was close to my ear. His breath ghosted over the shell of my ear, and my back arched instinctively. When he spoke, my toes curled at the husky quality his voice had adopted.

"How long have you known who I am?" he purred. It took me a minute to comprehend the question, too focused on his breath on my ear.

"I-I heard you speaking to Snotlout and Eret. After the fight," I stammered. A look of comprehension and disappointment crossed Jay's face.

"Ah." He pulled away and I almost whined at the loss of heat. He leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.

"Astrid. You-" Jay started, then suddenly he stopped and went ridged as he had at lunch.

"J-jay?" I whispered. He started trembling and his eyes turned glassy and unfocused. What was happening? I was about to try to say something when I heard a sound. I paused, then realised it was coming from the man standing in front of me. Jay whimpered again, shrinking back into himself and his trembling increased until he was shaking, a thin sheen of sweat beaded on his forehead. With a trembling hand, I reached out and touched him. The contact seemed to startle Jay out of whatever had seized him, and he collapsed onto the floor. I let out a cry and knelt beside him. Then I realised; Jay had just had a panic attack.

Panting, Jay opened his eyes. They were shadowed with memories and I could see the anguish and terror. He slowly sat up and took a deep breath.

"Astrid," he murmured as if checking it was me. He kept chanting my name like a prayer.

"Hic-Jay," I reassured him, stroking his shoulder soothingly. He let out a sigh and sagged against me, warm body pressed against mine. Hesitantly, I wrapped my arms around his torso in a comforting embrace, murmuring soothing words in his ear until his breathing had evened out again. The steady thump-thump of his heart vibrated through me, and the tension rose between us once more. Jay suddenly straightened, looking at me wildly before his cool mask slid over and he rose an eyebrow.

"My, aren't we getting cosy."

It was my turn to look at him incredulously. Had he forgotten his attack? His arms loosened around me and I became aware that I was still holding him. I released him with a start, muttering apologies and ducking my head.

"Astrid blushing! Quite the show. One I certainly never thought I would see," he said, leaning forward. Jay looked down on me, deliberately pressing against me until there was no space between us. A strangled noise came from my throat. Holding eye-contact, he leaned down and once again whispered in my ear. "Oh, Asssstriddddd."

I started out of my trance, moving away and punching him on the arm with a red face.

"I-I gotta go," I stammered and sprinted away. I needed to clear my head.

I ran all the way home, the cool air refreshing on my heated skin, and slowly entered my house. No-one was home. Good. Creeping up to my room, I readied my phone to tell the girls what had happened, before deciding against it. I fell back on my bed, checking the time; 6 o'clock.

Later that night as I lay in bed, I was once again unable to go to sleep. My phone pinged on my bedside table and I leaned over to check it. The text was from Ruffnut. 'Hey girl, have you checked the surprise we sent? Heather and I are filming Jay whenever we can and will send them to you so you can 'not do anything.' Go get him Astrid!' I opened the video they sent me and sighed. It was from PE class. I remembered looking up at him and- now I had to open the video. With a sigh, I adopted the position I had used last night, under my blanket, and pressed play.

**A/N: Hey All, here is the next chapter, I'm sorry It's so late, I've had heaps of work to do. Some bad news: I'm going camping for the next week and a half, so won't have any time to update at all. However, the week after that I will probably update two or three times. Please comment, I love reading them all.**

**Challenge #1: What's the shot count of a Gronkle?**

**Challenge #2: Dagur has lines tattooed over his eye. How many are there? (Don't cheat- it's fine if you get the answer wrong!)**

**See you soon, **

**DeathlyGummyAlpha**


	11. AN

**A/N**

**Hey Guys, I'm really sorry I haven't updated in, like, ages, even though I said I would. A close friend of mine passed away, so it's been quite hard for me, and I just got stuck on the story, not knowing what to write. BUT, I'll have an update up by Wednesday, and try and do another the same week. Thank you all for staying with the story, it really means a lot to me.**

**DeathlyGummy AlphaXX**


	12. Chapter 9- Obstacle Course

**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

_Chapter 8:_

The next day, I dreaded going to school. What would I do? All I could remember were Jay's frantic, searching eyes, the way he took comfort in my name. The vulnerable Jay. Then my traitorous mind would remind me of the way he had pressed against me, how he had said my name, and I would fumble what I was doing and flush red.

When I arrived at school, though, nothing had changed. I don't know what I had expected to be different, but the only evidence that I had not dreamt the whole thing was the wink that had the girls in the vicinity swoon (DEFININITELY not including me), and a note Jay slipped me. Sighing, I unfolded the [piece of paper and read the message inside.

_'__I'm sensing Deja vú. Meet me same place, same time after school, and this time, O fair maiden, don't run from your Prince in Shining Armour ;)'_

All through maths I stared at him, along with with the majority of the female population, as well As a few of the male. Jay was either oblivious to the attention, which I highly doubted, or just ignoring it. Even though he was paying attention to the words of the teacher, he appeared rather bored; playing with a pencil and tapping his foot impatiently. Of course; Hiccup had been the smartest in class. Eyes tracked his movements, including my own. The way is slim fingers played with a pencil, then brought it to paper at he sketched something. His eyebrows furrowed as he stared at his drawing, tilting his head to the side in an animalistic gesture, before bringing the pen to his mouth. I watched in fascination as he sucked on the end of the pen in concentration, before coming to some conclusion and sketching in a detail. His tongue peeked out to wet his lips and I found myself unconsciously copying the action, moistening my own.

After a while, my traitorous mind connected the image of Jay with the events that had transpired the evening before. The way he had pressed against me had let me feel every part of him, especially in his biking leathers which were sent from either a God or a devil. I was starting to think it was the latter.

The rest of the period was spent remembering the sensation of Jay's breath on the shell of my ear, as was the period after that, and recess, in which Jay continued to stay elusive. Then it was PE again.

To my despair, I realised that in my rush this morning, I had packed my older, smaller uniform. But I decided to use that to my advantage. Operation: Catch Jay's Attention, commence.

I may or may not have spent a couple of minutes extra in the change rooms, trying to make the uniform do what it's best at; catch eyes. When I left, I could feel more gazes land on me than usual, and smirked, knowing I had succeeded. I always despised girls for doing the sort of thing I just did, mentally calling them names and wondering why they would want to look like a piece of meat, all wrapped up with a bow. I hated the attention I got from all the boys and told myself I just did it to look pretty, but deep down I knew I wanted to attract the attention of a certain auburn-haired young man. Sauntering up to the stairs, I took a seat next to Ruffnut, just below Jay and turned to face Gobber as he explained the lesson for today; the obstacle course.

Unlike last, however, this activity proved uneventful. It was a simple matter of climbing through tunnels, up rope ladders, across balancing beams, and many other obstacles. I, along with many others, kept a sharp eye on Jay for any extraordinary behaviour, but today he blended in with the rest of the class.

Finally, it was my turn, and I started with confidence. It was pretty easy, especially for an athletic girl like myself, and I breezed through with little trouble. As I neared the end of the course, I peered through a tunnel at the faces of my class, staring expectantly at me. I got onto my hands and knees, sighing, and proceeded to crawl though. But the new position must have finally been enough for my old uniform, and with a rough ripping sound, it split down the seam. With a cry, I staggered out of the tunnel, clutching the remains of my shirt to my chest. The action just caused it to tear further, the material falling away to reveal my sports bra. I could see the inner conflict on everyone's faces; the urge to laugh, fear of what I would do if they did, and slight pity. I was frozen, as was everyone else, until a girl pressed against Jay and said in a whisper that carried around the silent room, "See THAT'S the most popular girl in the school. Just ignore her, sit with me instead." She winked. Everyone started laughing, and Eret stood up, pointing at me.

"Pathetic! No wonder her mother left her, who in their right mind wouldn't?"

My face was on fire, and I ducked my head in shame, fighting the tears pricking at the back of my eyelids. Hoffersons didn't cry. So, I missed the low growl and look of distain Jay shot the class, as he stood up and fetched something by his feet. The next thing I knew, a warm jacket was draped over my shoulders and I looked up to see his emerald eyes looking at me softly.

"It's all right," he murmured. "Come on, let's get out of here."

His hands wrapped his jacket tighter around me and he started leading me from the room. I followed numbly, vaguely realising that everyone had stopped laughing, but all I could do was cling to Jay as he pulled me close and words whispered in my ear. I didn't want his pity, but as the dull roaring in my ears slowed down, I heard his words, crooned over and over again.

"I understand."

With a jolt, I realised I was in the changing rooms, the cold metal bench biting into my bare thighs. I was pressed against Jay's side with his jacket wrapped around me, covering my ruined shirt. 'Pathetic.' 'No wonder her mother left her.' The words echoed in my head, and I couldn't hold it in any more. I burst into tears. The warm liquid flowed down my cheeks, but Jay just hugged e tighter and rubbed soothing circles across my back. My tears soaked into his shirt as I buried my head into his chest, but he didn't seem to mind. He sat there, offering his silent support.

"I'm sorry," I finally choked out. "Y-you must think I'm weak, a-and-" I broke off with a hiccup, and finally looked up into Jay's eyes. He just smiled.

"It's all right. You feel better?"

"Yeah."

"Good."

But then my eyes burned again, and I choked on a sob. His hand began rubbing my back again.

"Crying is not a sign of weakness, you know. I used to think it was. But then I left, and discovered many new things, about everything! It's natural to cry, and you'll feel better afterwards."

Guilt coursed through me as I remembered why Jay would have cried.

"I'm sorry. For everything."

He just smiled his soft smile and pulled me closer until I rested y head on his shoulder. I don't know how long we sat like that for, but I felt safe. Looking around, I furrowed my brows in confusion.

"This is the girls' changing rooms."

"How observant of you." His dry humour was familiar, and I huffed a laugh, before pouting.

"You shouldn't be here."

"I shouldn't."

"Are you going to leave?"

The room? Probably. You? Never. You're cute when you pout, you know."

My cheeks heated for what seemed like the thousandth time today, and I punched him in the arm. My fist hit solid muscle and I reigned in a curse, resisting the urge to shake my hand out. How did he become so strong?

"Am not!"

He just smiled. "There's the Astrid I know. I'll see you this afternoon, okay?"

Before I could protest, he stood up and slipped out of the door. There was the pounding of feet and Heather came running into the room, shouting something over her shoulder to Ruffnut, who appeared behind her. Blocking out their concerned questions, all I could do was stare at the spot Jay had just left.

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm so sorry I didn't update sooner. I know I promised I would, and I've been really late. I made this chapter a bit longer because of it and will try to upload again by next week. Keyword: try. I'm not really happy with this chapter, I don't think I got Astrid's personality right, but I couldn't help writing some sappy Hiccstrid. In earlier chapters, I focused on how Hiccup/Jay has changed and how cool and hot he is and blah blah blah, but then I realised I was almost taking away the part why we all love him; his dorky, sarcastic kindness. So please please review. As I said in the A/N I uploaded last, a close friend of mine has recently passed. You all don't know how much it means to me for all the encouraging responses I received, thank you so much. I mean it. The challenges now are not going to be trivia, but more personal. ish.**

**Challenge #1: What is your favourite thing about Hiccstrid? I would like to try and focus on what you think is important in their relationship.**

**Challenge #2: I'm really curious about the age group of everyone reading my fic, could you tell me your age? It can be specific, vague, or you don't have to if you don't want to. I realise it might be a little personal.**


	13. AN 2 (another one, sorry)

**A/N: Hey everyone, **

**I'm so sorry for not uploading another chapter. I'm a bit stuck, so I decided to try and do a one-shot until I feel back into the story. I did one, and it is pretty short, but I have uploaded it onto my profile so please read, like and review!**

**I will hopefully get another chapter of something up soon. Stay posted, and love you all!**

**DeathlyGummyAlphaxx**


	14. Chapter 10- Haddock?

**A/N: Hey all, please read the A/N at the bottom, they are all rather important. I'm so sorry I haven't updated in absolutely ages, thanks so much for not giving up on me or the story. I dunno, I just haven't had the time and didn't know what to write. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

When Ruffnut, Heather and I arrived at lunch, I tried to ignore the stares that kept shooting my way. It seemed high school students had done what they were best at: spread rumours. I collected my lunch and sat down at our table, where Fishlegs, Tuffnut and Snotlout were already sitting. I focused on my lunch, pretending not to see the looks the other kept shooting me. I could hear the whispers all around me.

"I heard she cried!"

"Pretending she is so much better than us… can't even get through an obstacle course!"

I felt someone come up behind me and stiffened. I knew who it was before he spoke and kept my back turned.

"What, you done crying? Couldn't handle the truth?" Eret's arrogant voice floated towards me. I clenched my fist and kept eating, shaking with anger.

"I thought 'Hoffersons didn't cry'. Guess that was just a rumour. Oh wait, Hoffersons are fearful, aren't they! Like Fearless Finn Hofferson who froze at the sight of the mere sight of a fire! He deserved to die!"

I whirled around, red with anger.

"Aww look! Widdle Atwid decided to grow a backbone," mocked Eret, his beefy arms crossed, and face stretched into a grin. Distantly, I noted the area had become quiet, everyone eager for some drama.

"I wonder how far her blush goes down, huh?" Eret winked, giving a disgusting smirk and trailing his eyes down my figure. My blood boiled.

"Now listen here, you little bi-" I was cut off by a hand on my shoulder. The crowd whooped as the colour drained from Eret's face, and he took a step backwards. My stomach gave a familiar swoop, shoulder tingling slightly from the contact.

"Remember what I said would happen if you tried something, Eret? Well, I'm not very pleased with the little 'stunt' you pulled today in PE," Jay snarled. I noticed the animalistic fury radiating off the man behind me. Everyone seemed to sense it, the room strung with tension.

Eret, still white-faced, seemed to muster up enough courage to address me.

"What, is Astrid Hofferson going soft? Need your little 'bodyguard' to stand up for yourself?"

I bristled, but before I could say anything, Jay gave a low chuckle.

"Oh, Astrid is quite capable of dealing with you herself. If anything, _I'm_ the one who needs _her_ to protect me. He squeezed my shoulder, and I understood.

Jay wasn't there to pick my fights; he knew I was quite capable of dealing with them myself. He was there to remind everyone else that, so I wasn't forgotten completely. I could feel the warmth of his hand through my shirt as he squeezed my shoulder again, and I took the invitation. So, with a grin, I curled my fingers into a fist and swung, a sweeping yet precise punch to the chin that sent Eret stumbling backwards and left a satisfying ache in my knuckles. I cracked them and turned to glare at the onlookers, who scurried off, whispering among themselves.

Jay leaned down, his lips close to my ear. "Impressive," he said, then lowered his voice even more. "You okay?"

I smiled/ "Never been better, Haddock."

His eyes widened slightly at the mention of his name, then narrowed. "Looks like I don't need to interrogate you after school, after all." He winked. "I've found my match."

"And you better believe it." I bumped his shoulder with mine, trying to ignore the solid muscle and restraining from rubbing my now-sore shoulder, and sashayed away towards the table. Jay gave a low chuckle and followed suit, sitting just close enough to invade my personal space, but not quite touching. We didn't notice the look of shock and confusion on Heather and Fishlegs' faces.

After school, I was cornered by my friends, minus Jay (I ignored the snide voice in my head saying I wished I could consider Jay as more than a friend). I quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"We heard what you called Jay at lunch," Heather said. "You called him Haddock. The name sounded familiar, so Tuffnut," The boy grinned at the mention of his name, "hacked into the school files and we found out why Haddock sounded familiar." She fixed me with a heavy stare as if knowing my thoughts were going off track. Since when did Tuff hack computers? "Hiccup Haddock. Hiccup the Useless, the Toothpick, the Clumsy. Haddock."

I released a breath. I thought about saying something clever like 'huh?' or 'whaaaaat?' but I knew I couldn't fool Heather, of all people. I gave a wry smile. "He looks different, huh?"

Snotlout gaped at me. "Wait, it's true?" A look of horror passed across his face. "That means my puny little cousin beat me up! ME! The Snot-man!"

"Not so puny anymore," Ruff interjected. "I mean, muscles….leather…..yummy….."

Tuffnut looked a mix between horrified and disgusted at his counterpart's statement, while Fishlegs hummed in thought.

"She's right, you know!" When everyone turned to stare incredulously at him, he hurried on, red creeping up his neck. "Not about that! I mean he's changed so much. And it isn't the kind of development most teens go through. He was forced to change. It probably has something to do with his new-found fighting skills."

"And abs," Ruffnut muttered.

I shot her a look and she rolled her eyes, holding up her hands in mock defence.

"Just an observation! Calm down, Viking! New and improved Hiccup Haddock 2.0 is all yours. Just because I look at all the candy in the store doesn't mean I'm gonna eat it!" She paused and gave a wink. "You, however, can take that piece of yummy-dummy chocolate home to eat any day!"

I gave her a slightly disturbed look and turned to face the group. "This is serious. He doesn't want anyone to know, so keep calling him Jay for now. We'll talk to him tomorrow."

As I walked home, my hands curled into fists. Hiccup Haddock was a mystery, but I'd be damned if I didn't figure him out.

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed it! I live in Australia so we don't have canteens where everyone gets their food on trays and stuff, so I don't really know how it works, so sorry if I got it wrong or something. I also wanted to just get this up as quick as possible, so I haven't edited it or anything. Please review!**

**DeathlyGummyAlphaxx**


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